Catasetum pileatum 'Oro Verde' BM/JOGA has a lighter green color than 'Jumbo Green Gold,' and has quite a different personality than that clone because of its central yellow patch in the lip. The flowers on 'Oro Verde' are also larger than 'Jumbo Green Gold,' and perhaps a little more flat. The overall effect is striking and quite beautiful.
Easily grown, loving moisture and moderately bright light such as for Cattleya orchids, this is a very rewarding plant. This flower is from the second flush of the season, and you will find that this Catasetum species enjoys giving multiple flowerings or multiple spikes or both, given good conditions. Feed them well; I find that this species is one of the more moisture loving and more rapid growers in the group. Mine tend to put up their growths extrememly rapidly, blooming with the young growth or later at odd times. After the growth matures, they may sit without growing for quite a while, but holding a full head of leaves. They often start to grow soon after droppiing their leaves. As usual, when they do drop the leaves, dispense with all watering or risk losing the plant. During periods of relative innactivity but while still in leaf, continue to water, but only as needed, letting the medium in the pot dry fairly well. I look for the slightest signs of bulb wrinkling to water.
Problems? As noted elsewhere on this site, spider mites must be attended to quickly.
Potting methods? This plant is currently in straight sphagnum moss in a plastic pot. I prefer some bark mixed in. I am moving more plants over into straight bark mixed with some sponge rock, and for some of the moisture lovers a little sphagnum mixed in. Clay is good for a pot too, though I put pileatum in plastic just so I don't have to be watering them as frequently. Anything works for the potting mix. People have been swearing by moss, but I get just as good or better results with bark, and I can repot every other year and not worry about salt build up as much, nor the sudden deterioration that moss can show.
